SUS vs HAM 77th Match - South Group Prediction

SUS vs HAM Team Previews

Sussex

Sussex has had a terrible run this season and has managed to win just 2 of the 8 matches so far. They are currently 8th in the South Group table with 4 points. With just 6 more matches to go including this one, Sussex will have to treat each of them as a virtual knockout.

It has been a pretty mediocre batting effort by Sussex so far. Tom Clark and James Coles are likely to open the batting here. Both of them haven’t been consistent this season and have squandered away good starts. Tom Alsop and Ravi Bopara have got a couple of half-centuries each but haven’t been able to lift the team out of its poor run as Sussex has lost 5 in its last 6 matches.

The all-rounders batting lower down the order have failed to score runs at the death. It is a similar story when it comes to the bowling effort. While Tymall Mills has been outstanding, picking up 14 wickets in just 7 matches, he has received little support at the other end.

Nathan McAndrew, Henry Crocombe, and Hudson-Prentice have been very expensive and have also failed to pick up wickets. The spin department lacks a specialist bowler and the team depends on all-rounders Shadab Khan and Ravi Bopara, both of whom have failed to reign in the opposition batsmen. 

Hampshire

Hampshire has shown good form this season and was on a 4-match winning streak until it was broken by Kent in their latest encounter. Nevertheless, they are currently 3rd on the point table and a win here will take them within touching distance of the top 2.

Skipper James Vince and his opening partner Ben McDermott are in excellent form and will be looking to give the team another good start here. Vince is the top-scorer for Hampshire this season and has scored 4 half-centuries and a century in his 8 innings so far.

However, the middle order will need to step up here to take some scoring pressure off of the openers. Toby Albert, Ross Whiteley, and Joe Weatherley will need to score runs consistently going forward. To the team’s advantage, they have all-rounders like Liam Dawson and James Fuller to add depth to the batting.

Nathan Ellis has done a good job with the new ball as well as at the death and will be looking for support from other seamers including Chris Wood, John Turner, and James Fuller.

Liam Dawson is the leading wicket-taker of the team with 11 wickets.